FACES OF BLACK (The Beckoning) CD
It's not long ago, that I lost some nice words about this Canadian three-piece. It was their self-released debut, that I received last year, and I found something refreshing about their heavy sound. Especially the vocals from female bass-player Christine Apro sets this band apart from others, but at least its the whole package that counts, and the new album "The Beckoning" will help the band to gain more attention (as long as they have a good distribution).
In opposite to the previous release FACES OF BACK have incoporated a bigger Metal segment to their heavy dark sound, and the cover-version of Slayer's "Bloodline" is a perfect hint to this change. That doesn't mean, that FACES OF BLACK have mutated into a Thrash Metal band, but they have some real mean riffs in the vein of Slayer like they did it in the early 90's. All seven tracks are varied, and the band has a good sense for different themes, like the moody "Word to the Wise" or the neck-breaking "Streets".
They write still catchy songs, but at the same time they have clever arrangements and are yet very heavy. On the first album I had some problems with Christine Apro's vocals, because she sounded a bit too ambitious at times for my taste, but she had improved her style and is doing her job better than before. My last praise is about the professional package, which is equal to the production, and so I give you the advice to get a copy of "The Beckoning".
(KK)